Usually I like this time of year for its color and comfort. Everyone's a little more relaxed, more prone to venturing outdoors... But this Fall has been particularly enjoyable to me for the music I've given and experienced as well. First was Carleton College. In late September, pianist Nicola Melville finally realized a project several years in the making when she premiered 12 new works for piano...mine among them ("3 preludes to missing the point"). Virtually every composer involved was able to attend and we had a blast! Nikki's playing was astounding and full of nuance and we all had a great time patting each other on the back afterward, closing down a bar or two in the process! Then came Pittsburgh. Friend and colleague David Cutler led the Duquesne Contemporary Ensemble in a night of music making that included my "Ferlinghetti". A wonderfully crafted and flawlessly executed performance with a strong theatrical element that drew in the audience in a way I've rarely seen. David will surely be a key figure in bringing the general public new music in a way that is always refreshing and substantive. Throughout my October, I have encountered many new people in the music world. I was fortunate to catch a performance of the American Modern Ensemble featuring the music of Steven Mackey and a benefit for MATA also shared some incredible music by artists I was only vaguely familiar with before. I always count myself lucky to hear live the music of Theo Bleckmann, Phillip Glass, Daniel Roumain and Derek Bermel. But I was additionally blown away by Carla Kihlstedt, Lukas Ligeti and Gordon Beeferman. Do yourself a favor and check them out WHENEVER and WHEREVER you can. As for my own work, I'm busy back at work on a piece started at Copland House several years ago, I'm immersing myself in MAX/MSP, and I recently began supplementing this website with a MySpace page and YouTube. It's all still very rough but keep checking in. It's been an exciting year so far and I look forward to sharing the rest of it with you! Cheers